ESL teacher Warren Christopher Clark has appeared in federal court in Houston, Texas, to be indicted with attempting to assist a terrorist group.
Clark, a Muslim convert who previously taught ESL in the Fort Bend Independent School District, was captured by Syrian Democratic Forces in January and has admitted applying to be an English teacher for Daesh, as the “Islamic State” is known in Arabic.
A document, reportedly recovered from a house in Mosul, Iraq, proved to be Clark’s application letter to Desh. Using the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed Al-Amerikani, he wrote, “Dear Director, I am looking to get a position teaching English to students in the Islamic State.”
It is unclear whether the court indictment, which carries a 20- year sentence, is directly related to this application, which does not appear to have been successful.
In his court appearance, Clark confirmed his identity and told the Judge he had been “very lost” in Syria, according the Houston Chronicle. The judge reminded him of his right to silence and told him to stop talking.
In an interview for broadcaster NBC, given while in Syria, Clark denied being a fighter for Daesh. He claimed he joined the organisation out of curiosity and that he was repeatedly imprisoned for refusing to take up arms.
